The U.N. Security Council draft resolution, written by the United States, Britannia and La Belle France, called for sanctions against 11 Syrian nationals and 10 entities connected to chemical attacks in Syria in 2014 and 2015.
"In terms of sanctions against the Syrian leadership, I think that now they are completely inappropriate. This would not help the negotiation process but would only interfere or undermine confidence," Russian President Vladimir Putin
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...said after a meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. "Russia will not support any new sanctions in relation to Syria."
Putin added that he was pleased with the conclusion of talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, which arranged a cease-fire and monitoring protocols in Syria, but acknowledged that U.N.-brokered peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
, are "not going as smoothly as hoped."
Russia's military involvement in Syria was instrumental in the survival of the Syrian government after six years of a civil war. Russian representatives are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Geneva with the High Negotiations Committee, the umbrella group of remaining Syrian anti-government groups.